Aloy woke up cuddled next to Avad, noticing that he was still holding her. He was lying on his left side with his head tilted towards her and his mouth slightly open, emitting small snores. She looked at his currently relaxed expression for a moment, relieved by the peace that had finally settled in after the challenging night they had endured, and gently stroked his dark hair. His heart beat softly and slowly, and his caramel-colored chest rose and fell calmly with each breath. Fortunately, he hadn't experienced the same thing again, but he still needed to regain his strength. Then, she thought it would be best to get up before he woke. The last time she fell asleep on him, Avad got very nervous... The huntress concluded that she had already had enough excitement in those days, so she preferred not to disturb him. Carefully, she moved the arm that encircled her and got out of bed, but not without taking one last look at the king. Afterward, she kissed his forehead and tucked him in warmly before changing into fresh clothes and leaving the room. Avad needed to rest, and certainly, she needed it too after the night she had, but she decided to go out hunting and then return early to be with him.

Hours later, he woke up still tired and somewhat disoriented. Despite having slept through the night, he felt exhausted, and he knew why. While he groaned, he rubbed his face with his hands, thinking about what had happened in his nightmares and reliving some of the situations that had occurred in them. He sighed slowly opening his eyes, hoping to have regained clarity in his vision. Fortunately, that was the case. He examined what little he could see. He looked at the palms of his hands and then the backs of both. One was full of scratches, and the other was splinted. He tried to move it but regretted it instantly. He lamented with a sigh, thinking about his return to the palace, but all the images were jumbled in his mind. Moreover, he felt his body numb, and his muscles were stiff, so he stretched while grumbling, feeling pain with each movement he made. Then he noticed that the pillow was wet. He turned to see that the towel Aloy had placed on him the day before for his fever and headache. Fortunately, he hardly felt any pain now. He looked up, but Aloy wasn't there. Judging by the light coming in through the window, it was quite late, around noon, and she had probably left a long time ago without him noticing. Under different circumstances, it would have been wonderful to sleep next to her, but he barely remembered anything from the previous night. He sighed. According to what his counselor had said yesterday, Erend would come to check on him that day, and now that he was fully conscious, they would start asking him questions. Questions he didn't want to answer. Overwhelmed, he put the pillow over his face and groaned desolately, muffling the sound in it. He sighed heavily as his empty stomach rumbled. Avad placed both hands on his belly as he looked around for something to satisfy his hunger. He found nothing, but coincidentally heard the sound of his door opening.

"Avad! You're awake! How are you feeling?" Aloy entered the room, asking, while pretending not to be aware of what had happened the night before. He smiled, not just because she didn't come empty-handed, but because he was enjoying her company once again.

"It's only been a couple of minutes since I woke up. Did you go hunting?" Avad asked, avoiding giving a direct answer, noticing how dry his lips had become.

"No, I felt like moving a bit, but since I took quite a beating yesterday, I've just been gathering some plants." she answered with a smile while resting her hand on her injured ribs. "Look, I brought you something for breakfast." Aloy moved closer to him and sat on the bed next to him. Avad carefully examined the tray she was carrying. There was a glass of warm milk, a red infusion that gave off an appetizing aroma, and a sweet roll that looked delicious.

"Oh, that looks great. Thank you very much. What's the infusion made of?" he asked as he inhaled the pleasant scent.

"It's made from wild ember, which I gathered this morning. I hope you like it," she replied kindly. "It'll help you regain your strength and ease the pain."

"I'll need it." he muttered with a downcast look. She gave him an encouraging smile.

"I'm here for whatever you need. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, thank you," he replied, attempting to sit up. However, his injured shoulder failed him, and he collapsed back onto the bed. Avad closed his eyes in frustration, stifling the pain. He hugged himself with his healthier arm for support. Aloy noticed his discomfort and offered her assistance.

"Do you want me to help you get up?" she asked in a helpful tone. He let out a long sigh, and after a few seconds, he began to speak.

"Actually... I do need some help, and... in several ways," he admitted shyly. "Just tell me what you need, don't hesitate, really."

"Well… first, Erend will come today to talk with me, and I'd like to appear in the best condition possible. I... want to avoid answering many questions; I don't have the energy to talk about it. So, you'd be doing me a big favor by making me look my best and trying to change the subject if he insists with too many questions about what happened there. In normal circumstances, I could easily steer the conversation away without any problem, but today, I don't trust my abilities too much."

"You can count on my help. I understand that everything is quite fresh to talk about the matter, but I want you to know that if you need to vent or talk to someone about anything, I'm here." she responded, taking his hand. Avad smiled with relief.

"Thank you, Aloy." he stammered, looking down. "Uh... I also need to go to the... bathroom. Just accompany me in case my strength fails on the way."

"Sure, no problem. Let's go." The Nora said, wrapping her arms around him to provide support. He clung to Aloy with all the strength he had, and very carefully and slowly, they made their way to the bathroom. There, the king stopped in front of a mirror that reflected from his chest to his head. The scene reminded Aloy of her journey to the north, when she encountered Gildun, the Oseram who had ventured into ancient ruins in search of a power cell, a highly valued item they couldn't produce by any known means. She smiled, reminiscing about the disaster he had caused by meddling in the ruins without any knowledge and how they had fixed it.

"By the Sun... I look terrible." the monarch mumbled, interrupting her thoughts. Above all, his exhausted expression stood out, followed by all the marks of the abuse he had suffered. Weary, he leaned on a cabinet in front of the mirror.

"Hey, Avad." she tried to encourage him. "You'll be fine soon; I'll be here for whatever you need."

"Thank you..."

"Come on, I'm going to help you wash your face and tidy up a bit for Erend's visit. Don't worry, I'll do my best to prevent any probing into what happened." she said, grabbing a towel. "You'll see how different you'll look when you're tidied up. You'll probably even feel better. It would be best if you got ready now, and then you can have breakfast to be ready for when Erend arrives." He nodded in agreement. Then, she left him alone to use the facilities peacefully, and later returned to his side.

She carefully helped the Sun-King sit on a stool so that he wouldn't have to stand, and then set about washing and drying his face and hair before gently styling it. Avad closed his eyes. The warm, fragrant water running over his scalp and the hunter's careful ministrations felt heavenly. After the tormented days he had endured, he felt like he might melt under her touch. The water resulting from her cleaning came out brown due to the mixture of the remnants of abuse and battle still on his skin. When she finished cleaning his upper body, she encouraged him to look in the mirror.

"Look, now your appearance is completely different."

"You were right. I almost feel a bit better." he admitted, looking up at his reflection. "Just one thing left. Look, on that cabinet over there," he said, pointing next to the mirror, "you'll find a wooden box with gold trim. Inside, you'll find makeup. Could you help me? With my shaky hands right now and having to use my left hand, I'd be unable to draw a straight line."

"Uh... no, I've never worn makeup," she explained. "I mean, I only apply a simple dark eyeliner, there's no comparison." She acknowledged, "If you don't want to look like a Tenakth returning from the war, I advise you to have someone else give it a try." She chuckled.

Besides, the Nora don't use makeup with such precision. We apply lines or blue streaks directly with our fingers. For other makeups I've worn, others have done it for me. I'm sorry I can't help you with that."

"Don't worry," he responded with a smile, "I pretty much said it out of habit. I don't think I'm going anywhere today." He laughed, and she smiled kindly at him.

"This bath will do wonders for all your wounds; it'll help them heal." she explained, pointing to the bath.

"And it'll help me relax a bit too." he added, sighing. "Thank you, Aloy."

"You're welcome. I've also left you some clean clothes, and I'll change your bandages later to make them look better." she explained with a reassuring smile.

"That's a great idea. Thank you so much, Aloy." he said. The Nora turned to give him a smile just before leaving the room.

"Try not to get your right hand wet so we won't have to change the bandages, and we'll avoid moving your broken fingers." she suggested.

"I'll keep that in mind." he replied, turning toward the bath.

Avad sank into the warm water, eager to rid himself of all the grime he had unfortunately accumulated in the past few days. He sighed again, sinking in up to his nose, leaving his right hand outside, resting his arm on the edge of the tub. The truth was, the water smelled wonderful. He felt a comforting sensation as soon as he submerged. His body felt lighter, and combined with the healing properties of the liquid, it greatly relieved his pain. Still, he was overwhelmed and worried. Above all, he felt unprotected. They had entered the palace not once, but twice, and it wasn't only his own security that concerned him. Itamen was small, and he had only recently been enjoying his childhood. The last thing he wanted was for them to capture him again or something worse.

"Are you ready?" Aloy asked, gently rapping on the door and interrupting his catastrophic thoughts.

"Ah... um... give me a minute, or... five..." he responded, painstakingly getting out of the bathtub. It was a major struggle to get out. After turning around and placing his hands on the edge of the tub, he ended up sitting on a towel they had laid out on the floor. He sighed. "I'm ready." he said after a few minutes, struggling to put on a pair of pants.

Aloy entered the room, ready to help him move to his bedroom. His appearance had improved significantly, although the fact that all his wounds were exposed didn't help. He kept looking at himself with an indescribable expression on his face, one that conveyed a lot of discomfort, unease, and a strong sense of displeasure.

"Relax." she tried to calm him, extending her hand. "We're going to the bedroom, and you'll sit on the bed. That's it, no more moving for now."

The monarch gathered his strength to stand up and clung to the huntress. "Thank you," he stammered, his voice strained by the effort. Very carefully, Aloy wrapped her arms around him and gave him support to make it back to his bed. Gently, she tended to and bandaged his wounds, covering the worst marks that had been inflicted on him during this time.

"You'll get better soon." she encouraged him as she bandaged his hand to give it some extra support. "And everything will be fine, you'll see." The monarch couldn't tear his gaze away from the hunter's hands, which were gently stroking his hand as they wrapped it in the cloth.

"Oh... thank you..." he replied timidly. "I hope everything goes well." As she went to get a shirt, Avad noticed that the sheets were no longer stained with the blood that had fallen on them the day before. "You've… changed the sheets?"

"Yes... I suppose sheets soaked in blood didn't give a very good impression..." she explained.

"You're right..." she replied thoughtfully. Then, he added, "Aloy, please..." he requested as she helped him with the shirt. "Let me repay you in some way... Not only have you saved my life (again), but you're also here... helping me so much... having this immense patience with me." She lifted her gaze from the bandages to his eyes.

"You don't owe me anything." she responded, giving him a kind look. "I never do what I do expecting something in return."

"But... ask me for something, please, Aloy," he insisted.

"Didn't you say that kings don't beg?" she teased.

"That's what Marad says." he replied, smiling.

"Well... if you insist... There is something I want." she said with a hint of mystery. He looked at her attentively, waiting for her response. "Do you remember when we sabotaged a Ravager together?"

"Yes, of course." he replied, smiling at the memory of how much he enjoyed that afternoon.

"Well... that plan was incomplete…" she replied with a mysterious tone. Aloy had been thinking for days about whether to continue the plan she had in mind, as one of its parts was going to be opening up to him and clarifying everything regarding her feelings. She truly feared that moment.

"Yes, I remember you said we'd finish it another day."

"So... when you get better, we'll finish that plan, if you want."

"Of course, yes." he replied. "What are we going to do?"

"Ahhh..." she said, feigning mystery. "You'll see about that." she laughed.

"That's not fair!" he complained with a smile on his lips. "What if I tell you I won't be able to concentrate?"

"Then you'll have to," she replied, touching his nose with her index finger.

Minutes later, the doorbell rang. The huntress had helped Avad adopt a comfortable and elegant posture to receive the Vanguard captain. He was sitting, leaning back on a few cushions, and covered with the sheets up to his navel, hiding a significant portion of his poor appearance. "So... how do I look?" he asked, not very sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"You've improved a lot, though it's clear you haven't exactly had your best days. You look completely different from yesterday." she responded with a sincerity that he appreciated. The huntress went to open the door.

"Please, Aloy, save me once again... Prevent them from interrogating me about... well, everything in general. Please, I beg you. I just want to prevent it from happening again... Strengthen security to protect us and take retaliatory actions against them... We don't need to know whether I was mistreated a lot or a little," he begged, showing vulnerability. She tenderly stroked his dark hair.

"I'll do my best." she said before letting Erend and Marad in.

"For the Forge, make way!" the Oseram exclaimed "Where's Avad?" he asked, bursting into the room. Erend had arrived in the City of the Sun just over a week ago and was now immersed in this scenario.

"Salutations. How is the king? Better than yesterday?" he wanted to know, asking more formally to maintain his role as an advisor, not a friend.

"Avad!" he exclaimed upon seeing him "I was very worried about what might have happened to you. I'm so glad to see you're well." Erend celebrated, patting him on the shoulder. The king closed his eyes, repressing the pain caused by his gesture.

"Aloy deduced how they kidnapped you. How did it happen? Where did they take you? How did they do it?" the interrogation began.

"I barely remember anything about the journey. When we fought in the office, I... I tried to defend myself, but they were wearing armor, so I broke my hand punching one of them... well, more like, his armor... Then they gave me something that left me practically useless, at their mercy. They blindfolded me and gagged me, tied my feet and hands, and put me in a sack. After lowering me out the window... I don't know, I think... they took me in a wheelbarrow."

"Yes. I found the tracks with Talanah. It was a bit further ahead; more people were waiting on the outskirts of the city. They probably took him along with other items to disguise their cargo, and transported him to a port near the Bright Market, but less crowded, perfect for going unnoticed. Then they locked him in the Kestrels´ Perch."

"And who were the attackers?" Erend asked with fury.

"Shadow Carja, allies with the Eclipse... More or less... Avad's enemies teamed up for the occasion."

"Aloy told us that you've been through the Sun Ring" Marad pointed out.

"Yes." he responded, looking down, clenching his fists hidden under the sheets.

"You look tired and injured." the Oseram warrior noted "What have they done to you?"

"Well…" Avad pressed his lips "As you can see, their treatment hasn't been entirely friendly, let's say... their way of negotiating isn't too diplomatic."

"And what did they intend with all this?" Marad asked thoughtfully "It would have been much easier (and forgive me for what I'm going to say) to kill you right here. If they hadn't taken him to the Ring and ended his life here, directly... we wouldn't have been able to stop it." he explained, addressing the others.

"They wanted... to return to Jiran's regime, no matter what." he explained "And since I didn't yield to their threats and torture... they decided to kill me with a grand spectacle."

"Wow... that's regrettable…"

"But fortunately, with Talanah's help, everything went well, and now we're here." the Nora rushed to add "I don't know how your politics work, but I would take measures about it, open an investigation, and not let this pass. This is a very serious situation. What are you going to do?" she asked, thus changing the subject to the monarch's relief "Of course, we can't let this situation go by."

"I'll send the Vanguard to search the Perch." Erend proposed.

"This can't stand, we have to take necessary actions, right Avad?"

"We can't let this happen again." the Sun King replied, hiding his pain and avoiding eye contact.

"I'll talk to Uthid, we'll reinforce security, and go to their settlements."

"After the disaster in the Ring, I don't think they'll do it, but one of the guards told me they would take Meridian at any cost." She added.

"It's good to know, thank you for that information, Aloy." the king expressed.

"Then we'll keep reinforcements at the city entrances and place sentinels in the watchtowers."

"Look at him." the Vanguard captain pointed out angrily, making the Blameless turn to observe him more closely "This isn't respecting the crown. Those criminals will pay for their actions."

For a moment, they fell silent, analyzing the battered Sun King. The longer it took, the more wounds they would see, and the more questions they would ask. His stomach suddenly growled because in the haste of getting ready, he hadn't had time to eat.

"I think we should let him have breakfast in peace if we're done talking, of course." Aloy suggested to relieve him from that awkward moment.

"You're right." his advisor responded "We'll keep you informed of the progress, but for now, we've discussed the most important matters."

"Get well." the Oseram wished, approaching the bed again "See you soon." he said, patting Avad on the shoulder once more. Avad forced a strained smile while suppressing the wince of pain.

"Walk under the light." the councilor said as they left. Then, the Sun-King let out a long sigh, as if he were deflating, and sank into the cushions.

"Well, the dreaded meeting is over, it didn't go too bad, right?"

"No, thanks to you." he replied, buried among the cushions "I'm still quite... clumsy. The effect of the brew they made me drink hasn't completely worn off yet, and I'm still having some trouble thinking."

"Fatigue also plays a role, but you'll feel better soon, you'll see." Aloy encouraged him, sitting down next to him on the bed and unearthing his face from the cushions. He looked at her with a painted smile on his face.

"Now all that's left is for you to recover, and to have breakfast, of course, as we've seen that you're hungry" both laughed.